The City of Portage la Prairie council meeting Monday night welcomed Francois Barnachea and Yuvan Ramachandran, who attended for the first time as youth councillors.
Barnachea says it was exciting and adds that he was able to see how council works and how laws and changes are passed.
He explains how he applied for the role:
"I had to think about why I wanted this position and what I could do to make changes in the community. So, I started thinking up all of my strengths, my possible ideas for changing this community, and then I just turned that into an essay. We don't have bike racks at our high school, and so I thought, what if there were more bike racks to encourage more students biking to school so we could make use of the bike lanes? That would be a nice change for the community."
Barnachea, in Grade 10, notes it’s his first time being involved in anything political. He adds that his family, especially his mother, is excited.
"I just talk to the students, see what they're concerned about, and then I report to the council."
Ramachandran says it’s a great opportunity to see how council operates.
"It's very interesting seeing the processes of how everything goes. I had an interview—the helpful career consultant at my high school gave me the form, and the mayor herself came to interview us along with the city administrator."
He adds, "I'm excited to see the changes that I and the other youth councillor, Francois, can make in the community. Mainly, I'm interested in volunteering. I know there are lots of volunteer options in the city and lots of kids with free time. It'd be nice if they could have the opportunity to bolster their resume while the community benefits from their service. It's a win-win."
Ramachandran is also in Grade 10.